For me, running really is headspace and time to be
alone with my thoughts, I can process what's going on in my mind.
I can have great ideas while I'm out running as well.
It's not always about chasing times.
And also I found that running gives me confidence.
If I think that I can't do something,
just set myself a running goal and chase after it.
Running allows me to clear my head, to put the stresses of life in perspective,
but it's also where I have the most fun with my closest friends,
through the power of shared experiences. I am actually so thankful for being a runner.
Getting outside for a run pretty much kept me sane during the pandemic.
When I run, I, I feel free, and I feel lighter.
I feel like all the thoughts that might weigh you down just sort of rise up and
go away somewhere else, even if it's only for awhile.
And I always feel better afterwards than I did before.
The global pandemic has been a difficult time for us all,
with many people turning to running, to help with their mental health. In fact,
during 2020, Strava reported 2 million new users every month.
Here at The Running Channel,
we have experienced firsthand the mental health benefits that come with
running.
And so we're going to share some of those benefits and a lot of tips with
you. We also have some inspiring stories that our Running Channel community have
shared with us,
and we're going to be looking at apps that will help you get out the door when
your mind just doesn't want to.
But first, if you are new around here, don't forget to click
subscribe and tap that bell icon
so you get notified when we upload new videos all about running,
which we do every week.
We all know there are physical benefits when it comes to adding a regular run
into your routine. Running can help make you stronger,
get better and also build your endurance.
But what about the mental health benefits that come with running?
Increasingly scientists are looking at how running might be beneficial to our
mental health. In a recent survey, by the shoe brand Brooks,
they found that running can help us enter into a state of mindfulness. That's
because it reduces stress,
unlocking a state of wellbeing and helps to encourage creative thinking and
original ideas.
So what are some of the mental health benefits that you can get from going out
on a run and reaching that state of 'runfulness'?
Getting out
in nature and using some of that pent up energy,
it gives you space to step away from your day and to really take stock.
And many runners have found that running during a stressful time
has really relaxed their mind and given them relief
from their anxieties. Running often makes you feel positive and full of energy.
This is because it releases endorphins,
which increases happiness and gives you that amazing runner's high. Running
regularly can help with your concentration especially if you're
up for trying running meditation to tune into your mind-body connection.
And if you don't know where to start, don't worry -
we've got a video all about it, so check that out.
Many people don't know what they're truly capable of. In fact,
this is one of the reasons why I started running, was so that I could push myself
to see what those limits are.
So many beginners find that they surprise themselves when they get around their
very first 5k and with running,
there are so many opportunities to keep testing those limits.
Do you want to go faster? Do you want to go further?
Maybe you're working towards signing up for a goal time at a race.
Whatever it is, running can really challenge you. With challenge comes
confidence. As you begin to understand your body and what it can achieve,
your confidence will soar. And that confidence isn't just in running,
it will be in other areas of your life as well.
Finding a state of runfulness helps to clear the mind of daily stresses and
creates a space for free thinking and for creativity.
You might even find that while running,
you come up with an original idea or a new perspective on something.
So there are clearly mental health benefits that come from getting out
for a run.
But it's also really important to say that while running can be incredibly
beneficial for anyone who is struggling with their mental health,
it isn't a fix-all answer.
It shouldn't be viewed as the alternative to therapy,
and if you are really struggling,
then we do advise you to speak to a medical professional.
We're going to take a look at how running has impacted you, our community.
Hi, uh, my name is Leonie. I'm 44. I have four kids.
I work full time as a teacher in prison and I live in Ireland near
Dublin. Um, I took up running after my fourth child, I was 38.
It was a Wednesday night and I was about to have my third panic attack.
And for anyone who has ever had one they're very, very scary,
you feel like you're going to die.
I had suffered from anxiety all my life since I was a child and I'd never known
anything different. So that Wednesday night I put on my Aldis,
my cheap trainers out of Aldi, and I ran up to the hotel.
I walked the car park and I ran home.
I later found out it was 3K and then I said, "well,
now we get that up to five". My husband asked me where I had been that night.
I said I had gone for a run and he kind of laughed and said "you don't run".
I said, "well, I'm going to now". I said, "I've never felt so amazing in my life".
So the next day I went and ran that 3K route with no stopping and I haven't
stopped since. I now run five times a week. Um, my life has changed.
My mental health has changed.
I can honestly say I no longer suffer from anxiety.
Hi, my name's Joe,
I'm 34 and I've been having problems with depression and anxiety for
about 14 years or so. Um,
I've been through lots of different therapies and the main thing that's helped me,
um, has been mindfulness, which I learned in some CBT sessions.
I had a lot of difficulty feeling connected with the world.
I'd often feel like 'am I not part of the world?'
and I'd also got a lot of intrusive thoughts. With mindfulness
it really helps ground you with the environment around you.
And, erm, just concentrating on what's around you can really help.
I've found with running,
I'm having to concentrate on my body, where and how my feet are falling
as I'm running, also the environment around me. Um,
and a lot on my breathing, I'm having to concentrate on that,
which helps anxiety a lot.
But then the different areas of my body that I'm concentrating on
is really grounding and, um,
to feel connected in the environment again's
very nice without having to go see a therapist and I'm trying
all different, all different techniques again,
running just seems to do it naturally.
It's already its own therapeutic technique.
Hi, I'm Lisa. I'm 35 and running has kept me grounded,
especially in the last few years.
So I took up running more consistently than I ever had
in order to get out and be in my own thoughts and have my own personal time.
And it has been so helpful for me.
It is like taking a pause on the day, um,
and letting my brain recharge so that I can go back in and finish the day with
what it is I need to do.
Hi, I'm Eleanor. I'm 20 and I'm from Berkshire.
So I only started running at the beginning of the first lockdown here in the UK.
Um, I had just been sent home for my first year of university and all of my teaching's
online.
I had nothing to do and as somebody who really likes routine structure and kind
of keeping busy,
I found it really difficult to cope with as I'm sure a lot of people did.
So I started running to kind of get myself back into a routine because I'd go out
at the same time each day.
And it really helped me cope with the lockdown and the pandemic in general. Um,
but I think that running's had a much bigger impact on my mental health than
just that. Um, in the past,
my relationship with exercise has been really negative.
I only ever really worked out to look a certain way or to lose weight.
Whereas running is the first exercise that I've consistently enjoyed. Um,
and also all of my goals to do with how far I can run and how fast I can run.
Hi everyone. My name is Natasha I'm 29 and I'm from Northern Ireland. What
made me want to reach out to The Running Channel was just to tell them the massive
impact, uh,
running has seemed to have had on my mental health. Throughout the past year or
so, and I know I'm not alone in this, I have felt really low at points.
Um, I felt really anxious and depressed, not productive, not motivated.
Um, and yeah, just not up to doing much at all.
And whenever I get on my running shoes, my running gear, I get out that door.
I have the music or the podcast on, whatever I'm feeling that day.
As soon as I start running, those emotions just seem to melt away and they're
replaced with excitement and happiness and a sense of freedom.
And especially through those long runs, as soon as I finished them,
even though I'm sore, I am aching, I'm so tired,
I feel immensely proud of myself and of what I've achieved.
So it's clear that running is beneficial for both your mental and physical
health,
but what are some of the best ideas to boost your mental wellbeing through
running?
For many of us, especially gadget lovers, me included,
it can be hard to switch off from the running noise. With friends
constantly updating Strava, our watches
telling us about our latest PBs or how we're getting on in terms of our
training, it can be hard just to take a step back and run just because.
Why not consider going gadget-free for one of your runs during the week?
Sometimes it's nice to forget about your pace and not try and run as fast as you
can, and instead go out there and enjoy the run.
Although running with headphones can really boost your pace and your energy on a
run, you might find it beneficial to tune in to the natural noises around you
when you run. Listening to those natural sounds around
you can actually help you to connect to your surroundings and be present in the
moment.
Getting out in nature is so good for the soul and fully immersing yourself might
be just what you need to detangle some of that mental clutter. In fact,
it's so beneficial that some doctors are taken to prescribing the Japanese art
of forest bathing -
essentially surrounding yourself with the forest and no distractions - in order to
help people's mental health.
If you give this a try and find that you absolutely love it,
then running meditation might be for you. Running meditation
connects your mind and body.
It frees you from distraction and it puts you into the present moment.
Sound hard? Well,
watch our video on how to start meditative running and we'll help you through.
Many of us have struggled with feelings of isolation this year. Restrictions on
socializing and the importance of maintaining social distance have really
fragmented the way that we as humans connect with one another.
As restrictions begin to ease, community will be more important than ever.
And we're very lucky to be part of one of the best and most supportive
communities in the world. Not that I'm biased or anything.
There are so many things you can do to connect with a running community,
whether that's joining a running club,
signing up for your first race or heading to your local parkrun.
And we also have The Running Channel
Facebook community group, full of like-minded runners who are full of support.
There's something out there for everyone,
whether you're an elite runner or you've decided you want to try your first
Couch to 5k.
We would really recommend finding yourself a running buddy,
someone who you're able to go out with and have a chatty run with, and put the
world to rights. When you're running, because it's a forward movement
and you're looking forward rather than maintaining eye contact with someone, it's
often a lot easier to open up and really say what think and
how you're feeling,
which in turn can be a really releasing feeling
if you're holding onto a lot of worries or tension.
Not sure where to find one? Well, Run Talk Run is a global running community that
gives people the opportunity to meet up regularly and run 5k
non-competitively.
It's a safe space for people to get to know each other and talk about their
mental health or mental wellbeing
and it also offers support to runners while they're doing so.
If this sounds like a community for you,
then check out the link in the description in the box below this video.
The community aspect of running is something that can not only improve your
running and your running times,
but ultimately potentially lead to lifelong friendships.
So running friends who you share life experiences with, training buddies
who push you to go further and faster than you ever thought you could go before,
or people who inspire you to get outside and get your runs done,
even when it's raining and you really don't want to.
So could this be the year that you think about joining your local running club,
or if you're a regular at something like parkrun,
might you consider volunteering for all of the benefits that will bring to you
and to the rest of the running community.
Sometimes putting on your kit and heading up the house can be the hardest part
of a run. So if getting out there completely headphone-free terrifies
you, here's a list of our favourite apps, podcasts,
and programs to ease you into mindful running and get you to lace up those shoes
and head out.
The Vitality 10K training plan
'Run Happy and Healthy' focuses on training up to the 10K
distance, ready for the Vitality
10K and running for your head and your heart. Now,
one of those people who is taking part this year is model and friend of The
Running Channel, Shareefa J. There are lots of reasons why I run.
I think the main thing for me would definitely have to be mental health.
I feel incredible when I've come back from a run because I've been able to sort
things out in my mind, my brain just feels like it's got more space in it.
I think those natural endorphins definitely help as well, but, um,
my sleep is better. My mood is better and I just love it.
I love having a community that you can run with. I'm a big fan of running clubs.
Get me any day of the week and sign me up to running club because I'll go. The
more I do it,
and the more I kind of come across different challenges and having to problem
solve all the time when it comes to running, you know,
from running a 5k to a 10K to 15K to a half marathon,
it makes me feel like I'm capable of so much more.
Niall Breslin is a key public figure in the conversation surrounding mental
health in Ireland. He hosts a podcast series called 'Marathon Mind',
which follows a group of individuals as they take on the difficult task of going
from relatively low levels of running up to completing a marathon.
Niall showcases the fact that the journey they undertake through marathon training
and the ups and downs reflect the ups and downs in the journey of life.
And if you're looking for some inspiration to help you push your body and mind,
then this could be just what you need.
There's so much potential and power within us all.
And often we don't use it and we're terrified to try,
but we're not here for a long time.
And one thing I don't want to leave this earth with is regret.
And I'm guessing you're the same.
So why not join us in this journey of the Marathon Mind? And to be honest,
this is not about the race,
it's about the journey and what you're going to learn about yourself,
your heart, your mind, and your soul.
Perhaps you just need a little inspiration or have you got doubts that you could
really get out there and start running? If this is the case,
look no further. Two really inspiring advocates for running, the outdoors and
mental health are James and his blog
'The Morning Coffee Run' and Mind Over Marathon runner Jake Tyler who addressed
his depression by walking around Britain and later went on to run the London
Marathon. For those Nike Run Club runners out there,
you may have come across guided runs,
but did you know there are also runs with Andy Puddicombe from Headspace?
These are a really nice way to start yourself on the journey of mindful running
without throwing yourself into the deep end of running as meditation.
Have you felt the mental health benefits of running?
Do you have a story that you'd like to share with us and with The Running Channel
community, or do you have any tips and tricks that you'd like to share?
Please do let us know in the comments below.
We'd love to hear from you and we'll see you next time on The Running Channel.